Critique on Google Search – How is modern people’s life jeopardized by Google?
Since 1998, human have entered an era of Web 2.0. That year, the best search engine in the world, Google, was launched. Since then, it has been providing a large amount of searching services for free. Except searching websites, there are also images, videos, news and even academic journals. Google has produced a huge impact that people now do not use search engines, they ‘google’ it. [i]
Google search gives humans a lot of advantages, but this advantage is in turn the greatest disadvantage. We have got used to Google search, but getting used to it is the problem. This critique will focus on how people’s ability to think independently is deteriorated by using search engines, especially Google.
This critique does not mean to accuse Google and other search engines of giving rise to these problems. It only means to reflect the negative impacts on human’s behavior and independent thinking from Web 2.0, raise people’s awareness and suggest preventions.
Does Google jeopardize our life? To answer this question, how Google may lead to the downfall of our life quality should be first concerned.
With Google, people’s efficiency should increase, because it greatly reduces our searching time. But, in our daily lives, our efficiency does not increase much. Instead of enhancing productivity, people in turn waste their additional time on the Internet. The most familiar phenomenon is that people browse without a discrete purpose. Through hyperlinks and numerous search results, one may read hundreds of websites in an hour. Many information are crammed into the brains of people in the period, yet they are scattered, unorganized, so in fact people cannot be benefited from such “learning” on the Internet. As time is wasted, people feel guilty; they do not feel happy at all but fell only stressful. In recent years, many netizens are suffering from the stress, it is because in the process of browsing, brain movement is heavily required to comprehend the information, excess exposure to stimulation let people unable to weigh the importance of what they receive. More seriously, some netizens are addicted to the Internet. One common symptom is that people will spend hours online without a purpose, and that they cannot control themselves. Psychological therapies are needed. Although the responsibility does not solely fall on Google search, undoubtedly, the gigantic search engine does constitute the problem.
People being addicted to the Internet using Google as a gate is only a superficial effect. The problem is more serious if people not only put their time, but also their mind in Google. It is easily to be unconscious that we are controlled by the search engine. It is a common phenomenon that people never challenge what they are given in the search result. Some people even claimed that “if it is not found on Google, then it does not exist.”[ii] Google dominates because it is convenient and powerful, but not it being trustworthy. It must be made clear that being trustworthy requires verification from a third party, yet Google Search is never credited for its creditability.
The phenomenon has already cast light on an alarming problem. People just accept what they are given so become idle of independent thinking. In universities, essays are challenged by various parties before passing to ensure that it has covered concerns of different perspectives. Quality thinking requires challenging. So, people trusting Google so much can illustrate that modern people, enjoying the readability to get access to information and technologies, gradually experience a downfall in the spirit of challenging and creating. This is harmful to the world. In the short run, as people do not challenge information they receive, their mind may become messy because contradictions between incoming concepts are never solved. In the long-run, if everybody rely too much on other’s ideas, who will innovate for the improvement of the race of human? So, human relying on convenience Google provides leading to a downfall of human intelligence is a problem to beware.
An even greater problem comes if Google abuse our trust. There are two major technologies used, PageRank and Adsense. PageRank brings more accurate searching results as the most ‘relevant’ website will top the searching list.[iii] Adsense provides advertisement based on peoples’ preference shown using Google Search.[iv] There is probability for Google to manipulate our minds using these technologies. As mentioned, ‘if it is not found on Google, it does not exist.” Staff in Google can limit our thinking by neglecting some websites to be seen. Similarly, as people’s search preference is recorded for Adsense, Google may use or give our ‘profiles’ to third parties to control us. It is fortunate that up to now, Google is trustworthy, nut if people continue to rely on Google, the above threats may become possible and our life quality and independence of thinking will be greatly challenged.
Machines are designed for the convenience of human’s life, so a hierarchy of human controlling machines should be established. Google search is a great, visionary engine, but we must bear the awareness of being controlled. The best way to retain our integrity is to leave the computer for a while and use Google search only in need. Thus, the power of the intelligent engine can be utilized.
[i] Life without Google: A fate worse than death?
[ii] Criticism of Google – Wikipedia
[iii] PageRank – Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagerank 12.Nov.2011 12.Nov.2011.
[iv] Adsense – Wikipedia
2 則留言:
Here are some comments that may be help helpful for your presentation:
Nice article.
Do you think somebody will try to upload lots of information (e.g. flood the pool) such that the real data will be overlooked by Google search?
Dear Alan,
Your article is really nice in that it was written with a passion. I am glad to see that you provide criticisms (that is what "critique" is about) on various things related to Google or IT in general. I agree with you that as these new IT tools are so powerful, we human beings sometimes cannot help but get addicted to them. I think the tools reveal our vulnerability.
Thus, a positive perspective to look at this phenomenon is that we should be alert and educate/train ourselves to be more disciplined and resist the temptation to waste time on such tools, in the name of being a techie!
But do you think that the "image" of such IT companies (or their marketing efforts) also has something to do with this? I mean, as people that are well versed in using IT tools or smartphones are commonly considered as "advanced" or "smart" type, others could easily fall into the trap of over-using the tools.
Finally, I think your points about companies like Google might manipulate our trust is a good one. Again, this also means that we human beings should be alert and use the tools wisely. Still remember we discussed about "Fake Photos" in class. I think this is similar.
Thanks for your good work!
Ricky
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